Two-material spray gun

ABSTRACT

A spray gun for separately spraying two materials through the same fluid tip with the inputs controlled through separate aircontrolled needle-type valves mounted at angles to each other on the body of the spray gun assembly with an additional input to the assembly for the atomizing air.

United States Patent [721 inventors Frank 151. Rupert {56] References Cited A no riat Frank E. Miller, Huntlngdon; Wayne R. i 450 000 32?? SZATES PATENTS 239/413 Mitchell. Huntingdon: Frederick E. ,fi "955 4 5 Coiintamstate Ceilegealloi. Pa. 239/ l PH App Ne an 3,057,273 10/1962 Wilson. 239/288.5 X 5-, Filed Rh 197 3.146.350 9/1964 Lancaster... 239/415 X 3 Pnenmd o P5355119 H l [731 Assignees Prlsino Universal Corporation 3399837 9/1968 Fflk 239/4l6'l x Continuationeiappileation Ser. No. 1,323,192 2/1963 France 239/336 634378 19.67 .b'fldomd Primary Exomlner==M. Henson Wood, Jr.

Assistant Exominer==iohn J. Love [54] TWO-MATERIAL SPRAY GUN Attorney Karl Flfieks 6 Claims, ii Drawing Figs.

239/305, 239/433 ABSTRACT: A spray gun for separately spraying two materi- I [511 B0513 7/00 nls through the same fluid tip with the inputs controlled [501 Field at 239/150. through separate air=eontrolled needle-type valves mounted at 288,288.3.288.5.305. 307, 335, 336, 407.4161 angles to each other on the body of the spray gun assembly 433, 434 with an additional input to the assembly for the atomizing air.

PATENTEDAUBIUBYI I 3.598.322

con-r201, x 5

compnzssnn FRANK LARUPERT ALRSOURCE WAYNE R.MITCHELL n FRANKE.M1LLBR v Fmaprzmcx E. COFFMAN BY QKARL. (Al-10 KS ATTBENEY 'rwoma'ream. SPRAY .orm I This is a continuation application of applicants copending doned. V Y The present invention relates to a spray gun to be used with two separate materials with both materials so placed as to pass through a common exit at separate times.

In the spray gun of the present invention, the complexity of the spray system is materially reduced through the use of fewer parts thereby reducing both the size and space requirements for this spray apparatus.

The spray gun of the present invention handles the spraying of two separate materials and requiresonly one atomizing air line with the atomizing air requirements reduced by approximately 50' percent over prior art requirements utilizing separate atomizing air lines for each material. 7

Because of the construction of the spray gun of the present invention both materials are sprayed from the same point and therefore similar patterns may be sprayed with each of the different materials.

v The patterns sprayed may be line. patterns formed along a road by movement of the spray gun along the road. 'Each of the materiais covers a space on the road that could instead have been covered by the other material if desired. .Therefore, alignment of associated equipment, such as a glass bead dispenser, with only one spray gun tip is required for uses with different materials or different colors..This alignment refers to both transverse and longitudinal alignment relative to the path of travel of the spray gun assembly.

Also, gun tip maintenance is simplified since the present construction permits air and fluid tip changes without the loss of fluid.

Since only the external nozzles need be changed, namely the fluid nozzle and air cap, the gun size can be varied quickly.

With the use of passages in the spray gun intersecting at the gun tip, the contamination of each of the materials or different-colored parts being sprayed, by the other material or colored'paint, is avoided, reducing any need for cleaning during the process of switching from one material or color to the other one being used.

i Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a detailed'description of the invention and from the appended drawings and claims.

IN THE DRAWINGS application Ser. No. 634,275 filed Apr. 27, 1967, now aban- FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned enlarged view of the spray gun I with portions cut away.

I valve i33 is positioned axially through the fluid section 3i so that the'valve end having an O-ring 34 thereon will bear against the valve seat 27 while the stem portion 36 of needle type valve 33 runs through a portion of fluid body section 31 having a packing gland or Q-rings 35 around the stem so that no air leakage will take place through this section. On the other side of this section the stem 36contains a leather esp. type piston 37 which moves in piston chamber 38. Air enters piston chamber 38 through inlet 39 to control the movement of piston 37. Opposing the movement of piston 37 from air pressure through inlet 39 is return spring 41. Adjustment for the length of travel of piston 37 is made by means of adjustment knob 42 with a tension spring 43 and stem 44 attached to knob42. I

Fluid body section 31' and piston chamber 38' are duplicate assemblies of fluid body section 3l and piston chamber 38.

For the operation of the spray gun shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a compressed air source is connected to hose 51 which connects to atomizing air inlet 21 to be used for atomizing fluid in the spray gun. Upstream control of this compressed air source will determine the quantity and pressure of the air supplied.

Two liquid sources, for example white and yellow paint most ofien used in road striping, are connectedsothat one each of the sources are connected through hoses 52 and 53, respectively, to fluidinlets 32 and 32', respectively. in each fluid body section 31 and 31' the liquidis prevented from flowing into the gun body 11 by needle-type valve 33 which is pressed against valve seat 27. Hoses 54 and 55 are each connected to a control device on a road-striping vehicle which supplies air to these hoses for control purposes. Air supplied from a control device through hoses 54 and 55 passes into control air inlets 39 and 39, respectively. Air is supplied to eitherinlet 39 or inlet 39' at different times depending upon which liquid it is desired to pass through the spray gun assembly which, of course, is determined by which color road stripe is then required.

When air enters, for example into inlet 39, it moves piston 37 upward against the action of return spring 41 until the end of stem 36 of needle-type valve 33 contacts the lower end of stem 44 extending from adjustment knob 42. At this point needle-type valve 33 has moved away from valve seat 27 and the orifice 29 is now open so as to allow liquid entering through inlet 32 to pass through orifice 29 into adjacent passageway 28. Atomizing air through inlet 21 passing through passage 22 connecting with lower passages 23 mixes with the liquid coming out of fluid tip 12 and an atomizing action takes place inside round air cap 13. This atomized liquid,

As shown in the figures, the spray gun consists of a gun body 11 supporting on its lower face a spray tip assembly. This spray tip assembly includes a fluid tip 12 projecting within a round air cap 13 with a fan-atomizing cap 14 attached to air cap '13 by a swivel nut 15. Both the caps 13 and 14 are surrounded by upper and lower shroud portions 16 and 17, respectively. An atomizing air inlet 21. is located on the side of gunbody 11 with passages 22 and 23, cut through body 11, connecting inlet 21 with the inner portion of air cap 13.

The top of body 11 is machined about a horizontal center line to form two inclined faces 25 and 26 at an angle to each other sufficiently large to allow proper clearance for the other parts mounted on said faces. These faces are also recessed to locate a valve seat 27 with liquid orifice 29 on each of faces 25 and 26. The orifices 29 on each of faces 25 and 26 are both now in proper form for spray painting, passes through the fanatomizing cap 14 to spray on the surface to be so treated.

When the control air pressure to inlet 39, or 3 as the case may be, is released or stopped, the return spring 41 presses against piston 37, lowering it and thereby moving valve 33 downward into contact with valve seat 27, thereby closing orifice 29 and cutting off liquid flow to spray gun body 1!.

If it is desired for cleaning purposes, a small amount of solvent flushed through the atomizing air inlet 21, or through a small port connecting the air passageways which may be provided in body 11, can be utilized for cleaning liquid residue out of the air cap assembly and tip.

What we claim is: I

I. In road-striping equipment, an improved spray gun assembly comprising a spray gun body having at least two faces inclined at an angle to each other and'an opposing surface on another side of said body from said at least two faces, an atomizing air inlet means connected to said spray gun body to supply air under pressure to said spray gun body,

fluid body means for feeding fluid to said spray gun body integrally connected into each of said at least two inclined faces in a'fluidtight connection thereto,

means to spray fluid from each of said fluid body means through a common opening at separate times without mixing fluid from one of said fluid body means with fluid from another of said fluid body means including a fluid tip having said common opening therethrough to for reciprocation in said piston chamber,

receive fluid at separate times from each of said fluid inlet means'to said piston chamber for the entrance of air body means, to control the operation of said piston and associated air cap assembly means around said fluid tip to mix needle-type valve,

atomizing air with fluid passed through said fluid tip, 5 and a return spring located on the opposite side of said said fluid tip and said air cap assembly means attached to piston f om id i l means said p g surface of said p y 8"" body, 3. The spray gun assembly of claim2, further characterized inclined passageways in said spray gun body leading from by v each of fluid y mezfns mounted sfild f said inclined passageway having a substantially uniform f f with 9 9 sfilld pfissagewflys mtersectlllg l0 dimension throughout their length from their meeting directly at said fluid tip with said opening through S with said orifice plates to their intersection directly at said flu d tip, I fl id u i 1 m 531d mclmed passageways. f upper and lower 4. The spray gun assembly of claim 1, further characterized faces meeting at said fluid tip without a common upper by surface f said atomizing air inlet means connected to direct said air am! control means anached to each 0 fluld body under pressure into said spray gun body and then into said means to separately control the flow of fluid from each of cap assembly means on the outside of Said opposing said fluid body means into said spray gun body. surface of said spray gun body The spray gun assembly of claim further charactenzed 5. The spray gun assembly of claim 4, further characterized y by Sam body means mclildmg said air cap assembly means formed to channel said air a needle-type valve having a valve, and a stem attached to d d f I said valve, un er pressure rece v: fl rgrtn sai ajttam siigg dair in ct said valve located within said fluid body means and said g i Ti .g 9 y '9? stem extending from said fluid body means into said air 3 er 8 lp wl pnor mmng con "01 means of fluid and atomizing air.

6. The spray gun assembly of claim 1, further characterized an orifice plate having a valve seat therein for receiving by said valve, integrally connected into each of said at least two inclined faces of said spray gun body, said air control means including i a piston chamber, a piston mounted on said stem of said needle-type valve said inclined passageways having upper and lower surfaces meeting at said fluid tip without a common lower wall surface. 

1. In road-striping equipment, an improved spray gun assembly comprising a spray gun body having at least two faces inclined at an angle to each other and an opposing surface on another side of said body from said at least two faces, an atomizing air inlet means connected to said spray gun body to supply air under pressure to said spray gun body, fluid body means for feeding fluid to said spray gun body integrally connected into each of said at least two inclined faces in a fluidtight connection thereto, means to spray fluid from each of said fluid body means through a common opening at separate times without mixing fluid from one of said fluid body means with fluid from another of said fluid body means including a fluid tip having said common opening therethrough to receive fluid at separate times from each of said fluid body means, air cap assembly means around said fluid tip to mix atomizing air with fluid passed through said fluid tip, said fluid tip and said air cap assembly means attached to said opposing surface of said spray gun body, inclined passageways in said spray gun body leading from each of said fluid body means mounted on said inclined faces with the axes of said passageways intersecting directly at said fluid tip with said opening through said fluid tip, said inclined passageways having upper and lower surfaces meeting at said fluid tip without a common upper wall surface, and air control means attached to each of said fluid body means to separately control the flow of fluid from each of said fluid body means into said spray gun body.
 2. The spray gun assembly of claim 1, further characterized by said fluid body means including a needle-type valve having a valve, and a stem attached to said valve, said valve located within said fluid body means and said stem extending from said fluid body means into said air control means, an orifice plate having a valve seat therein for receiving said valve, integrally connected into each of said at least two inclined faces of said spray gun body, said air control means including a piston chamber, a piston mounted on said stem of said needle-type valve for reciprocation in said piston chamber, inlet means to said piston chamber for the entrance of air to control the operation of said piston and associated needle-type valve, and a return spring located on the opposite side of said piston from said inlet means.
 3. The spray gun assembly of claim 2, further characterized by said inclined passageway having a substantially uniform dimension throughout their length from their meeting with said orifice plates to their intersection directly at said fluid tip.
 4. The spray gun assembly of claim 1, further characterized by said atomizing air inlet means connected to direct said air under pressure into said spray gun body and then into said air cap assembly means on the outside of said opposing surface of said spray gun body.
 5. The spray gun assembly of claim 4, further characterized by said air cap assembly means formed to channel said air under pressure received from said atomizing air inlet means into contact with fluid from said fluid body means after its expulsion from said fluid tip without prior mixing of fluid and atomizing air.
 6. The spray gun assembly of claim 1, further characterized by said inclined passageways having upper and lower surfaces meeting at said fluid tip without a common lower wall surface. 